Beautiful Brooke: Bye-Bye BOTTLES!

I'm very happy (and super proud) to report that Brooke has officially said BYE-BYE to her bottles!

HOORAY!!!!!

Eh hem.

I've been working so hard with her - trying to put a lot of hype on 'big girl cups.' She's been perfectly satisfied to drink water or juice out of a sippy cup, but if I dared to try a little milk in that same cup, she'd take one sip and throw it. Acrossed the room.

So, towards the end of the school year, I encouraged my Mom to start offering her milk in a cup with each meal. Hey, it was worth a shot. But, no go. She wasn't interested.

We just kept pressing on...trying the cup every day or so. I've tried every single cup ever created...not joking. You should see my cup cabinet...cups in every shape, size, color, spout, handles, no handles, etc.

With all of our unsuccessful attempts at ditching the bottle, I started feeling more and more embarrassed to take said bottles out in public. To church, to the store, out for a walk... I was so afraid that people would look at herand say, "Isn't that baby too OLD to still be drinking from a bottle!?"

When we packed up for Poe Valley last week, and I had to pack bottles, liners, nipples, AND the milk... I was just plain old irritated.

With 2 more scheduled vacations this summer, I decided that I wasn't going to take bottles with us. So I'd better hurry up and try the 'cold turkey' route. And I did.

Tuesday morning, Brooke woke up and requested 'pancakes' for breakfast. Perfect. Pancakes it'll be! When she asked for her 'nilk,' I put on a BIG show (I mean, BIG) for her while showing her the brand new BIG GIRL CUP full of milk in her fridge! She gasped in suprise, but didn't want that milk. She politely said, 'other milk?' ...sounds like 'uher nilk?' I told her that this WAS her milk and that big girls drink milk from a cup. She took a few sips with her pancakes and the milk went back to the fridge.

(Normally, Brooke drinks an entire 8 oz bottle with breakfast. So, we're already down A LOT of milk in our diet.)

Lunch time. Ravioli with crunchies and apple slices.

"Nilk, please?"

"Sure, baby. Mommy will get your big girl cup!"

"Uher nilk?"

"No. This IS your milk. Try some! See if it's yummy!"

She took a few sips with lunch. Back to the fridge.

Afternoon before nap.

"Nilk? Snack?"

"Sure hunny."

I kid you not, Brooke drank the ENTIRE cup of milk and ate all of her snack. Then, she layed down for a 2 hour nap.

Suppertime and bedtime. No bottle. Just sippy cup.